Conserving the Genetic Biodiversity of Maize in Mexico: Understanding a complex problem and developing participatory solutions

The biodiverSEEDy project (www.biodiverseedy.com) was a transdisciplinary research project uniting science, philosophy, art and indigenous farming communities to better understand and act on the challenges facing the conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Maintaining diverse crop plants is essential for food security and developing agricultural systems capable of responding to change (e.g. emerging diseases or altered climatic conditions). There are two main approaches to conserving agricultural crop biodiversity. In situ or 'on farm' approaches involve farmers continuing to grow different crop varieties, crossing them to breed new ones, and exchanging seeds within and across communities. Ex situ approaches store crop seeds in local seed banks or international genebanks for future use by plant breeders and researchers. The biodiverSEEDy project researched both of these approaches. In its work with in situ crop biodiversity conservation, the project investigated challenges and opportunities for on farm conservation of native maize varieties in Mexico (where maize first originated) by performing scientific and participatory art-based research with indigenous farming communities. For ex situ approaches, the project focused on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (used by genebanks around the world as a safety backup for their seed collections). Here it integrated environmental philosophy, science and art to bring cultural considerations into this approach to agricultural biodiversity conservation. Participatory Research The project conducted participatory research together with the indigenous communities to understand their specific challenges and potential solutions for the conservation of agricultural biodiversity. The project developed a new method for this research that involved the participants creating artworks on the topic, discussing these in groups divided by gender and generation and then coming together as a community to discuss the topic as a whole. The research revealed that not only did the two communities identify different threats and solutions, but that perspectives also differed across gender and age groups. The solutions identified for implementation included the organization of a local festival to celebrate native maize, guest lectures on agroecology, and the establishment of maize plots within schools for inter-generational teaching and learning. Scientific Research Genetically modified (GM) crops have been identified as a potential threat to biodiversity so the project performed scientific research on the flow of transgenes from GM crops into landraces of Mexican maize. This included a review of the challenges for detecting transgenes in local landraces. It also involved an analysis of the extent of transgene flow in two indigenous communities in Oaxaca. The research revealed that despite GM maize not being legally approved for cultivation in Mexico, some of the farmers' seeds were contaminated, as were some of the local stores and markets selling maize as grain. The research showed the social connections between the confirmed cases of GM contamination through the farmers who purchased grain from the contaminated stores planting it as seed and sharing it with other farmers. Philosophical Research The project conducted philosophical research to unite scientific and indigenous worldviews in understandings of the value that nature and biodiversity have for humanity and to develop an integrative framework for valuing nature's contribution to people. The project also investigated the question of whether GM crops and synthetic forms of biology had value as part of the earth's biodiversity and if so, how this 'synbiodiversity' should be protected. The research here revealed that although the Svalbard Global Seed Vault does not currently accept GM seeds, arguments for why these bio-technological hybrids do not have conservation value can be difficult to sustain and more emphasis needs to be placed on thinking about these forms of life and how we care for them. Art Exhibition One of the key findings of the project was the way in which genebanks, the Global Seed Vault and other ex situ methods of biodiversity conservation typically fail to capture the kind of cultural and ecological dimensions that were clearly important for in situ/on farm conservation methods. To raise awareness of this and help build connective bridges across the two approaches, the project organized an art exhibition as a closing event. For this exhibition, global farming communities and professional artists made works capturing cultural and ecological connections to seeds. These works were exhibited in Tromsø before being placed in the same kind of boxes used for seeds in the Global Seed Vault, flown to Svalbard and deposited in the mountain alongside the seeds. A documentary film is currently being made about this exhibition, with a trailer available here https://vimeo.com/271974553?ref=fb-share.

The conservation of genetic biodiversity in important crop plants, such as maize, is crucial for food security and the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of change, including climate change and the emergence of new pests and diseases. Currentl y there are two main approaches to the conservation of crop genetic biodiversity: in situ approaches that seek to conserve biodiversity on farms through the ongoing cultivation of a range of varieties (particularly important in centres of origin and diver sity), and ex situ approaches in which seeds of different varieties are preserved in gene banks for future use. This project specifically seeks to a) understand the challenges facing in situ genetic biodiversity conservation, b) advance solutions to these challenges through participatory research with local actors and c) clarify how in situ and ex situ approaches can be combined for maximum benefit. The general question framing this research project is: What are the current challenges for the conservati on of maize genetic biodiversity in its centre of origin, Mexico, and how can local and global solutions be advanced? The specific research questions are: A. What are the environmental, economic and sociocultural aspects influencing the conservation of g enetic biodiversity in maize landraces in their centre of origin, Mexico? B. How are women specifically implicated in the challenges and solutions to the conservation of maize landraces and what policies can best advance their positions and efforts? C. Wh at is the relationship between local in situ (on farm) solutions to the conservation of crop genetic biodiversity and global ex situ (gene bank) solutions and how could this relationship be improved? Through a dedicated workpackage to answer each of the specific research questions using a range of participatory research methods, the project will deliver 5 publications in peer-reviewed journals, 3 popular press publications, 1 policy brief and 1 public art show.